training for race

Hi all

I have got a race coming up in september only a road race as far as i know but all the same i need to do some training for it. I am currently riding about 50 - 70 miles a week at the moment is there anything specific i should or shouldnt be doing.
Ive never trained for aything in my life so any help would be appreiciated.
One other thing do i need to be doing weights also or not?
I have got about 8 weeks left till race day.

How long's the race? This will have some effect on how you should train. If it's a 100 miler and you're only doing 50-70 miles a week then you'll be in trouble, if however it's a 15 mile then your current mileage should do. I take it this is your first race and as such you should just concentrate on enjoyin it. Find out what the topography of the course is like - is it hilly, flat etc? Then train accordingly. There are others who race that will be able to give much better and more accurate advice, but my advice is keep riding and trying to push yourself and increase your mileage and avg speed.

My biggest advice is do some group rides. You need to know how to handle yourself in a crowd. If you are squirrely you are a danger to yourself and everyone else. It is easy to get hurt in a road race so knowing how to ride close to others is an essential.

Other than that I would just suggest doing some intervals. That will probably help more than anything. There are a lot of quick accellerations in road races. If you get dropped your race is pretty much over.

If you have never trained for anything in your life, then consider the race a learning experience and a gauge to see where you need to be.

Just stick to the following rules of thumbs for road racing:
1. Try to stay up front, but not the very front.
2. Getting a little wind in your face is better than getting “yo-yoed” in the back. It also shows your competitors that you are willing to work and are more likely to let you back into the first 10-15 guys after you rotate off (which helps with #1 above).
3. Don’t pull longer than anyone else.
4. Hold your line in the corners: If there is guy on the inside of you, don’t force him into the gutter. If there’s a guy on the outside of you, don’t force him into the opposite traffic. This is one of the tougher skills to learn.
5. Be ready to freak out in pack riding. Pack riding with people completely surrounding you takes time to get used to. I’ve been in packs of 100 riders and it’s pretty scary. Like Lowcel said, try to do road group rides, it will help some.
6. No sudden moves when in the pack and avoid overlapping wheels with riders in front of you. Protect your front wheel.
7. Try to stay up front on the hills. If the pace is too high to handle and you start falling back, then hopefully some of the peloton will be there to link with. Also, careful with the rider in front of you if he stand climbs; he will float back a bit and might hit your front wheel.
8. If feeling good on the climb, save your energy for the crest. That is where the group usually hammers and where gaps are made.
9. This being your first RR, be conservative with your efforts. Some races start out at talking pace and you wonder, “what’s going on here?” Don’t attack, just sit in. An attack or surge will come and you will be holding on for your dear life, so save your energy.
10. If you get dropped, don’t feel bad. We’ve all been there.